(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a towed acoustic sensor array. More particularly, the invention is an improved hose wall of an acoustic towed array in which the hose wall provides strengthening and increased reliability.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Naval vessels and geophysical exploration vessels routinely deploy acoustic arrays for detection and analysis of undersea structures and objects. A vessel can tow an array of sound receiving hydrophones arranged in a passive array hose. The passive array hose, in conjunction with sound receiving and signal processing electronics, can detect sounds in the water.
In other arrangements, the vessel can tow a passive array of sound receiving hydrophones and can also tow an acoustic projector in which the hydrophones and the projector form a bi-static active sonar system. With this arrangement, the towed acoustic projector emits sound pulses. Each sound pulse travels through the water to strike objects or targets, which in turn produce echoes. The echoes are received by the array of hydrophones. The direction of the echoes indicates the location of an underwater object. In conventional bi-static active sonar systems, the acoustic projector is often deployed and towed separately from the array.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,683,819 discloses a sonar array system including a receiving array of hydrophones and a transmit array of acoustic projectors disposed on a common axis of a cable. The cable is extended and retrieved by a winch. The transmit array has one or more acoustic projectors capable of generating sound and the receive array has one or more hydrophones capable of receiving sound. The acoustic projectors are disposed on a transmit array axis, and the one or more hydrophones are disposed on a receive array axis. The receive array axis and the transmit array axis have a common axis; therefore, forming contiguous line arrays (one array for receiving and one array for transmitting).
The towed array is typically attached to a tow cable that is reeled off a ship so that the sonar array stretches for a distance of a mile or more. Due to the forces imposed (flow-induced vibration and drag) on the towed array because of the reeling; improvements in strengthening are desirable for increasing reliability and life span of the acoustic array.
In addition to concerns about mechanical wear and strength, improvements in removing heat from various components of a sonar array system are helpful for extending the longevity of electronic components and in preventing electrical breakdown between various components of the array system.